Joanna

I would LOVE to, and I have dual citizenship Australia/UK, but my long time partner is not interested in living over there, even though he is also entitled to a British passport (and therefore residency). The best I can do is go for long trips (usually 6 weeks/2 months) with my girlfriend. My sister is lucky, as she is living in London with her husband who DID want to live over there. My top choice would be UK, as its where my roots are, but would also love to live almost anywhere in Italy!

nancy

Krisin, <BR>You only go around once!! <BR>nancy

Heather

Like Luigi, it took me a litle while to post on this one. First of all, Kristin, if you have the opportunity, I say do it! If nothing else, it will be a life experience you will never forget. <BR> <BR>My experience was frustrating and disheartening - however, in saying that, I also have to say I wouldn't change a thing. I had spent the summer in London and decided that I needed to live there. Six months later I came back for what was supposed to be a two week vacation and stayed on for several months. While I immediately found an agency (I'm an actor), got a throw-away job at the Gap and quickly got cast in a movie, I was not able to get a work permit. Without one, I couldn't work. Finally I ran out of money and had to come home. <BR> <BR>I would live there again in a heartbeat - only this time I will wait to be invited first! <BR>-Heather

topper

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In Alto

Sł.

Elizabeth

Hi - <BR> <BR>I just had to start this post going again. I returned two weeks ago from a 10 day trip to Austria and Switzerland with my mother and grandmother. The whole trip I was constantly reminded of all the little things my husband and I have done on our previous adventures to Europe. I also could not stop the overwhelming desire that I have to just live there. It has been a year since this idea enter my husband's head and he has finally updated his resume and has started sending it out to some US companies with locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Unfortunately he is not in the IT field(where there is an overwhelming demand) so no one has been to anxious to hire him. <BR> We have also had another idea of how we could live there and was hoping to get some feedback from those of you who have study abroad. We are thinking of taking out a home equity loan, renting our house and sending my husband to a university in the Netherlands to get his MBA. Does anybody have any thoughts on this? <BR>I would also be interested in learning more about getting the CELTA?

Annie

Living abroad can be a great experience, as long as you go in with your eyes open. <BR> <BR>Please remember that you fell in love with that particular country while you were on VACATION! Detroit probably isn't too bad when you're not working (okay, maybe not a good example!) Everything's wonderful when you're on vacation. Life in another country is very different when you're working and dealing with reality. That's not to say life can't be great, but there are problems. For example, that quaint French town with narrow streets was so romantic and charming while you were there for four days. It's not so charming when you're trying to manunveur through traffic, or attempting, without success, to get phone service.

SharonM

It's taken me awhile to respond to this thread because I wasn't sure where to start! As a kid, I lived all over the US as well as in Mexico City and Guatemala City. About 3 yrs ago I quit my job of 10yrs (travel agent, go figure!) sold everything, and moved with my boyfriend to Lisbon for a year. He'd worked Expo in Seville and had arrangements to hook up with a couple buddies to create a construction contracting business for Expo '98. Although that did occur, It took up until right before Expo to get any contracts, so meanwhile, I'd maxed out my credit cards and when they were gone, so was I (not necessarily my choice)... So, anyway, the circumstances certainly could've been better relationship-wise...and, as someone mentioned, the red tape was a big hassle and I didn't really have many friends to hang around with, or extra money to travel as much as I'd planned on, but all in all, I love living in another country and, under better circumstances, would certainly do it again! It's a totally different experience from vacationing in so many ways, but also wonderful in that you learn so much about the country, the people and the culture. If you have an opportunity, DO IT!!!

Jennifer

Great thread folks- <BR> <BR>I am in the middle of an acupuncture program in the states and my current obsession is how to move abroad to practice and teach. A great way to procrastinate from real studying is trying to explore the ins-and-outs of the alternative medical establishment in Belgium or Nederlands and whether I am qualified to practice in either country! I don't have any real advice to offer since I am in the process of trying to fix my own addiction but I have begun correspondence over the net with officials and secretariaats of different organizations - the net is the way to go in this regard. (Also helps to keep my french and dutch in trim) Since it will take about 6 months for a CA license to go in effect after I graduate, I may have the chance to practice in Portugal for a few months. Maybe this would allow me to get my fix without having to totally emigrate. Does anybody know portugal well? Thanks all...a toute a l'huere.

SharonM

Well, Jennifer...as I mentioned, I was in Lisbon for a year. Traveled around Portugal a bit when living there...

John

I lived in Germany (1993) near Stuttgart and in Paris (1994). I was sent there for my US company that had offices in those countries. I also got to visit/work at our offices in Italy for several weeks at a time. Many if not all US companies with European offices offer international assignments. Assignments in my company are usually for a 3 yr duration. There are many advantages accepting a European assignment from a US company. All necessary work visas and other paperwork is taken care of; no need to search for a job; assistance with everything .... finding housing, language lessons, insurance requirements, travel expenses to and from; supplementary living allowance, etc. Of course, allowances and amount of and type of assistance vary from company to company, but are typically fairly generous. As pointed out by many others, living there is somewhat different than typical vacation or business trips. I had travelled to Europe approximately 50 times prior to my one year assignments and thought I knew the areas fairly well and felt comfortable there. I was surprised how different living there was and realized I didn't really "know" these places. I really only knew the tourist side and discovered a much more rewarding side of both places. The non-tourist side of Paris is quite amazing and different. I found it very enriching and only increased my desire to live there. I thoroughly enjoyed each day I was there and I thought my one year was too short and could have easily stayed for several more. The downside is that after having the benefit and luxury of living there for some extended time, it made future travel visits of a week or few seem like nothing at all. Of course, a week or two is better than nothing, but I find myself thinking in terms of months rather than weeks for an adequate visit to explore an area. Living in Europe or any place for a year or more is very enlightening and changes one's life forever. I wouldn't trade my years there for anything and encourage anyone to do the same.

Elizabeth

The last few posts have offered great insight. <BR> <BR>John - <BR>Do you still work for the same company? <BR>Do they have any need for a Sales/marketing rep/manager in Europe? <BR>If so, feel free to e-mail me directly. My husband would be more than happy to send you his resume. Although he is not fluent in any one language. He has an astonishing aptitude for learning, and has a working knowledge of Spanish, German, French and is teaching himself Dutch. <BR> <BR>Jennifer- <BR>Do you want an assistant to travel with you? I am a registered nurse and throughly believe in alternative medicine. Last year I attended a seminar in Berkeley offered by Alta Bates entitled "Complementary Medicine: Integrating Mind, Body and Spirit." It was quite interesting. So, if you ever decide to open your own practice/business in Belgium or the Netherlands, a good way to get around a work permit, please let me know. <BR>By the way, are you studying at UC Davis? <BR> <BR>Okay, enough said. I apologize to the rest of you for taking up space with my relentless efforts to find a way to my European dream. <BR> Thanks for the thoughts. I can so I have spent a while thinking about the downside of living abroad, and can still say I would at least like the opportunity that many of you have had to experience it myself.

Elizabeth

Hi again, <BR> <BR>Sorry - Jennifer, make that, do you attend UC San Diego?

John

Elizabeth: <BR> <BR>Yes, I still work for the same company. I don't know if they have a need for a Sales/Marketing Mgr in Europe, but suspect if they do, they would want a local rather than an American. I would also think that for such a job they would want someone fluent in the local language. I was not fluent in either German or French, but didn't need to be. My work did not require any communication with local customers. I was working at one of our facilities and dealt with our managers. All the executive and high level managers as well as most of the lower managers were fluent in English and were required to speak English if one American manager was present. So I did not have a language problem at work. Outside of work was a different matter, but managed just fine. <BR> <BR>If I come across anything I will email it to you.

Fran

I lived and worked in Northern Ireland for about 2 years. My husband's from there, so there were no visa problems. <BR> <BR>Life outside of work was wonderful. Life inside the office was a living hell, for both of us. At first I thought it was just me, the American having to adapt to a new type of workplace. Then my husband started voicing the thoughts I'd been having. It was such a strange situation. The people we supervised were great--knew their jobs, did them well when given the opportunity, worked hard, but knew how to have fun. Our bosses, on the other hand, knew so little about managing people, and seemed to operate on the theory that a good manager was someone who belittled and oppressed people. People (men and women) cried in my hubsand's office when he left, because he was the only one that treated them with any dignity and respect. He also was the only manager who knew what he was doing. <BR> <BR>I spent the vast majority of my time unproductively. Basically sitting in meetings where nothing was accomplished and no decisions were made, other than when to meet next. Any projects I did get to work on were never used by anyone. <BR> <BR>We'd like to move back there, because we loved everything else (okay, and except for the weather). But it probably won't be until we retire, or can support ourselves with consulting work or something. <BR> <BR>Like an earlier poster said, living in a foreign country isn't all esspresso, loads of wine, and cobbled streets.

Art

Fran, I hate to disillusion you but mgmt there sounds like the greatest percentage of management here. I was an IT manager for many years and spent more of my efforts protecting my staff from senior mgmt than anything else. <BR>

Jodi

Wow, what a great thread. I pray that one day I will be able to move to Europe or back to if Israel if things ever settle. I was there for six months in my early twenties and loved it. Although I have a pretty good life here in the States, as someone said earlier -- for all we know, we only go around once -- so why not. I am a high school guidance counselor and hope to find a job in an American School. many Has anyone done this, please let me know. I have done my research and there are companies that help Americans get jobs in schools abroad. Would be interested in knowing if anyone has employed this method. I am taking my boyfriend for his first trip to Europe next summer. I hope he loves it as much as I do. I have been putting notions in his head that its possible for us to do in another year or so. He's a huge cyclist, so I know that part already grabs him -- cycling being so huge in Europe. He also works for a large internet company which has offices around the world. They have insisted that they will allow their employees to transfer overseas. I know this is mostly babble, but universality is a crucial key to mental health. Thanks for reading.

expat in london

Great advice in the above postings! I am an expat in London and spent 3 years in Asia as well. The best piece of advise....remember that visiting a place and living there are 2 different things! I laugh when people say how "reliable" the Tube is and know that they are tourists! A great way to live overseas is to get a job with a US based company with overseas offices. The bigger the company, the more opportunities available. That way, most expenses are covered. That is how my husband and I arrived in London. He let them know he wanted to go overseas and here we are. You would be surprised at how many people DON'T want to move. It is a lot to deal with...you leave family, friends, a culture you are comfortable with. But the rewards are tremendous! We have seen more than most people will in a lifetime! So I say go for it!

tina

Y'know what I think would be a cool thing to do...live in some country that isn't really *special* to you but you like, and that's close to places you DO like... <BR>For me, I'd like to live in Switzerland or Belgium

Fran

Art--I hate to disillusion you, but I've worked in the U.S. for a long long time, as has my husband (I've been with 9 different companies, he's been with 2), and neither of us has ever run into the kind of imcompetence at the management level that we did while living in Northern Ireland.